Following the publication yesterday of the Welsh Government’s consultation paper on the business rates appeals process, Jerry Schurder, head of business rates at Gerald Eve comments:
“The Welsh Government’s aim of avoiding the ‘Check, Challenge, Appeal’ system that is proving so disastrous in England is to be welcomed, as the impact being seen on businesses east of the border is proving to be very negative indeed. But it needs to be careful that it doesn’t end up adopting the same process in all but name, as some of its preferred options stray into the same territory as the English system.
“As long as meaningful attempts are made by the Welsh Government to engage with stakeholders and take on board their comments, then this consultation is to be welcomed. A genuinely inclusive engagement process, that incorporates feedback and suggestions, will create a much better and more manageable appeals process that will leave Welsh firms much better placed compared to their English counterparts.”